Written Answers Friday 6 March 2009

Scottish Executive

Adult Literacy and Numeracy

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the findings of the national survey on adult literacy and numeracy to be published.

Fiona Hyslop: A final report of the Scottish Adult Literacy and Numeracy Survey is scheduled for publication in January 2010, however, initial findings from the survey will be available before the end of 2009.

Diabetes

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) adult and (b) child patients use insulin pumps, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: Number of people currently using an insulin pump broken down by NHS board and age group:

  

 NHS Board
 Age 0 to15 Years
 Age15+
 Total


 Ayrshire and Arran
 2
 4
 6


 Borders
 1
 11
 12


 Dumfries and Galloway
 1
 8
 9


 Fife
 7
 40
 47


 Forth Valley
 2
 20
 22


 Grampian
 8
 38
 46


 Greater Glasgow and Clyde
 13
 34
 47


 Highland
 0
 15
 15


 Lanarkshire
 0
 32
 32


 Lothian
 3
 102
 105


 Orkney
 1
 0
 1


 Shetland*
 - 
 -
 -


 Tayside
 18
 55
 73


 Western Isles
 1
 0
 1


 Total 
 57
 359
 416



  Source: NHS Boards’ Diabetes Managed Clinical Networks, February 2009.

  Note: *NHS Shetland’s insulin pump provision is shared with NHS Grampian.

Diabetes

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) adult and (b) child patients were allocated insulin pumps in the last 12 months, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: The most recent figures on insulin pumps usage available for comparison purposes are those from September 2007. They show that in the 17 months to February 2009 at least 165 people were allocated an insulin pump. Detailed figures are given in the following table.

  Comparison of Insulin Pump Allocation September 2007 to February 2009

  

 NHS Board
 September 2007
 February 2009


 Ayrshire and Arran
 2*
 6


 Borders
 9
 12


 Dumfries and Galloway
 6
 9


 Fife
 33
 47


 Forth Valley
 12
 22


 Grampian
 22
 46


 Greater Glasgow and Clyde
 30
 47


 Highland
 8
 15


 Lanarkshire
 7*
 32


 Lothian
 79
 105


 Orkney
 0
 1


 Shetland**
 -
 -


 Tayside
 42*
 73


 Western Isles
 1
 1


 Scotland
 251
 416



  Source: NHS Boards’ Diabetes Managed Clinical Networks, February 2009.

  Notes:

  *Estimated figure.

  **NHS Shetland’s insulin pump provision is shared with NHS Grampian.

Diabetes

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) adult and (b) child patients are waiting to be supplied with an insulin pump, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: The data available do not make a distinction between those on a waiting list for an insulin pump and those on a waiting list for an insulin pump suitability assessment. Details are given in the following table.

  Number of Patients on a Waiting List for an Insulin Pump, Broken Down by NHS Board and Age Group

  

 NHS Board
 Adults
 Children
 Total


 Ayrshire and Arran
 0
 0
 0


 Borders
 5
 2
 7


 Dumfries and Galloway
 4
 0
 4


 Fife
 3
 0
 3


 Forth Valley
 2
 3
 5


 Greater Glasgow and Clyde
 7
 7
 14


 Grampian
 8
 2
 10


 Highland
 8
 0
 8


 Lanarkshire
 16
 0
 16


 Lothian
 38
 8
 46


 Orkney
 0
 0
 0


 Shetland*
 -
 -
 -


 Tayside
 0
 0
 0


 Western Isles
 0
 0
 0


 Total
 91
 22
 113



  Source: Diabetes Managed Clinical Networks in NHS Boards – Feb 2009.

  Note: *NHS Shetland’s insulin pump provision is shared with NHS Grampian.

Diabetes

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the revised guidance on insulin pumps from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) will have on the provision of insulin pumps in (a) Scotland and (b) each NHS board in each of the next five years.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Quality Improvement Scotland has commissioned a Resource and Cost Impact Report on NICE Technology Assessment 151. This will give a detailed estimate of both staffing and pump cost to help NHS boards plan its implementation.

  Once published, the NHS QIS report and the revised SIGN Guideline on the management of diabetes should clearly establish for NHS boards the benefits and costs of investing in insulin pumps, compared to other insulin therapies, to help them develop their insulin pump provision appropriately.

Diabetes

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS boards have adjusted their business plans for diabetes service provision in light of the revised guidance on insulin pumps from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

Nicola Sturgeon: We expect NHS boards’ business plans and local protocols for insulin pump therapy, as they are renewed, to reflect the revised advice on insulin pump therapy set out in the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Technology Assessment 151.

Drink Driving

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many offences of drunk driving per 10,000 head of population there were in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area, and when it expects new statistics to be available.

Kenny MacAskill: Figures for drink driving convictions alone are not available. The following table provides information on drink or drug driving convictions from 2002-3 to 2006-07. Data relating to 2007-08 will be available in April 2009, following the publication of Criminal Proceedings in Scottish Courts 2007-08 statistical bulletin.

  Persons with a Charge Proved for Drink/Drug Driving Related Offences1,4 per 10,000 Head of Population2 2002-03 to 2006-07: Breakdown by Approximate Local Authority Area3

  

 Local Authority
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07


 Aberdeen City 
 26
 27
 26
 25
 21


 Aberdeenshire 
 11
 10
 10
 10
 10


 Angus 
 15
 19
 17
 17
 20


 Argyll and Bute 
 14
 15
 16
 17
 13


 Clackmannanshire 
 13
 16
 12
 9
 17


 Dumfries and Galloway
 15
 17
 17
 17
 19


 Dundee City 
 21
 23
 19
 18
 19


 East Ayrshire 
 25
 25
 26
 26
 25


 East Lothian 
 13
 14
 16
 12
 12


 Edinburgh, City of 
 21
 16
 16
 16
 15


 Eilean Siar 
 23
 26
 28
 34
 30


 Falkirk 
 29
 16
 17
 12
 14


 Fife 
 23
 16
 14
 15
 16


 Glasgow City 
 21
 19
 19
 21
 23


 Highland 
 27
 28
 25
 25
 24


 Inverclyde 
 16
 14
 12
 10
 10


 Moray 
 21
 21
 22
 18
 15


 North Lanarkshire 
 9
 7
 8
 7
 7


 Orkney Islands 
 17
 21
 21
 14
 22


 Perth and Kinross 
 24
 19
 17
 17
 17


 Renfrewshire 
 23
 15
 16
 17
 19


 Scottish Borders 
 14
 17
 15
 16
 13


 Shetland Islands 
 22
 28
 29
 20
 25


 South Ayrshire 
 23
 20
 22
 19
 20


 South Lanarkshire 
 21
 16
 17
 18
 17


 Stirling 
 31
 19
 16
 16
 17


 West Dunbartonshire
 32
 24
 25
 24
 25


 West Lothian 
 27
 17
 14
 16
 15


 Scotland
 19
 16
 16
 16
 16



  Notes:

  1. Where main offence.

  2. Population figures based on General Register Office for Scotland mid-year estimates for the relevant year.

  3. Incorporates an approximate mapping of sheriff courts into local authority areas. Some sheriff courts will deal with cases from more than one local authority area. Four local authority areas, namely East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Midlothian and North Ayrshire, do not contain a sheriff court.

  4. Offences included are: Driving a motor vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs; in charge of motor vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs; driving motor vehicle with blood alcohol content above prescribed limit; in charge of motor vehicle while blood alcohol content above limit; failure to provide breath specimen at the roadside; failure to provide breath, blood or urine specimen at police station.

Education

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the sources and amounts of funding for the Determined to Succeed programme, broken down by local authority.

Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government has made available a total of £153 million for delivery of Determined to Succeed since the inception of the programme in 2003-04 to the end of the current spending review period. Of this, £127.8 million has been allocated to local authorities and £25.2 milion has been retained by the Scottish Government for the development of national activity to support and complement local delivery.

  

 Local Authority
 Total


 Aberdeen City
£ 4,043,660 


 Aberdeenshire
£ 7,458,913 


 Angus
£ 3,210,079 


 Argyll and Bute
£ 2,684,097 


 Clackmannanshire
£ 1,252,201 


 Dumfries and Galloway
£ 4,633,597 


 Dundee
£ 3,177,598 


 East Ayrshire
£ 3,113,017 


 East Dunbartonshire
£ 2,934,008 


 East Lothian 
£ 2,396,984 


 East Renfrewshire
£ 2,573,242 


 Edinburgh City
£ 7,833,826 


 Eilean Siar
£ 1,132,541 


 Falkirk 
£ 3,289,893 


 Fife
£ 8,604,430 


 Glasgow City
£ 11,878,618 


 Highland
£ 6,904,528 


 Inverclyde
£ 2,036,655 


 Midlothian
£ 2,152,939 


 Moray
£ 2,625,838 


 North Ayrshire
£ 3,554,626 


 North Lanarkshire
£ 8,126,472 


 Orkney
£ 795,156 


 Perth and Kinross
£ 3,666,985 


 Renfrewshire
£ 4,222,163 


 Scottish Borders
£ 3,313,844 


 Shetland
£ 979,150 


 South Ayrshire
£ 2,783,165 


 South Lanarkshire
£ 7,597,436 


 Stirling
£ 2,455,178 


 West Dunbartonshire
£ 2,253,841 


 West Lothian
£ 4,157,116

Fair Trade

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with NHS boards regarding the measures that they are taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with NHS Education for Scotland regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with NHS Health Scotland regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with NHS National Services Scotland regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with NHS Quality Improvement Scotland regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with Quality Meat Scotland regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with the Scottish Ambulance Service regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with the Scottish Arts Council regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with Scottish Enterprise regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with Scottish Natural Heritage regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with Scottish Screen regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with Scottish Water regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with Skills Development Scotland regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with the Scottish Social Services Council regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with sportscotland regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with VisitScotland regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18193 by Linda Fabiani on 9 December 2008, what discussions have taken place with the Water Industry Commission for Scotland regarding the measures that it is taking to promote fair trade.

Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21204 on 5 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

Firearms

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers carry a Taser gun, broken down by police board area.

Kenny MacAskill: Scotland has 721 Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs) trained in the use of Taser guns. Tasers are one of the options, alongside other weapons, that are available to AFOs when deployed.

  I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21330 on 6 March 2009, which sets out the number of police officers trained to carry a Taser gun, broken down by police board area.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Firearms

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers have received training in the use of Taser guns, broken down by police board area.

Kenny MacAskill: Only Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs) in Scotland are trained in the use of Taser guns. All AFOs receive this training.

  AFO Numbers by Force as at 27 November 2008

  

 Dumfries and Galloway
 50


 Lothian and Borders
 107


 Strathclyde
 197


 Tayside
 67


 Central
 43


 Fife
 72


 Grampian
 119


 Northern
 66


 British Transport Police
 0


 Total
 721

Firearms

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions police officers have used a Taser gun to help apprehend a suspect.

Kenny MacAskill: Between 22 April 2004 and 31 December 2008 Taser guns have been deployed at 53 incidents during which they were discharged 18 times.

Firearms

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether anyone has been significantly injured by a Taser gun used by a police officer.

Kenny MacAskill: The Association for Chief Police Officers in Scotland has confirmed that there have been no significant injuries caused by use of a Taser gun. All identified injuries sustained as a result of the use of a Taser gun, are recorded and reported to the Home Office via established procedures which apply to all UK forces.

Firearms

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are restrictions on using Taser guns on people under the age of 18.

Kenny MacAskill: There are no restrictions on the use of Taser guns on people under the age of 18. While the age of a suspect is taken into account when considering a proportionate policing response to firearms incidents, it is vital that police consider the threat posed first and foremost.

Firearms

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether police forces are allowed to use Taser guns other than in deployments involving conventional firearms.

Kenny MacAskill: All Taser deployments in Scotland are as part of an authorised firearms operation. In Scotland only Authorised Firearms Officers are trained in the use of Taser guns. Therefore Tasers are only deployed as a less lethal option when dealing with a firearms incident.

Firearms

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times Taser guns have been used on people under the age of 18.

Kenny MacAskill: Taser guns have not been used on any person under the age of 18 in Scotland.

Health

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) initial revenue and (b) capital allocations have been to NHS (i) Highland, (ii) Orkney, (iii) Shetland, (iv) Western Isles and (v) Grampian in each financial year since 2004, also expressed in real terms.

Nicola Sturgeon: Details are as follows:

  £ Million

  

 
 
 NHS Highland*
 NHS Orkney
 NHS Shetland
 NHS Western Isles
 NHS Grampian


 Initial Revenue Allocation
 Real Terms
 Initial Revenue Allocation
 Real Terms
 Initial Revenue Allocation
 Real Terms
 Initial Revenue Allocation
 Real Terms
 Initial Revenue Allocation
 Real Terms


 2004-05
 239.2
 270.6
 22.4
 25.3
 26.7
 30.2
 42.2
 47.7
 481.7
 545.0


 2005-06
 272.1
 301.7
 25.1
 27.8
 29.8
 33.0
 47.1
 52.2
 547.9
 607.4


 2006-07
 419.6
 452.9
 26.9
 29.0
 31.8
 34.3
 50.3
 54.3
 583.5
 629.8


 2007-08
 445.8
 467.2
 28.7
 30.1
 33.9
 36.5
 53.6
 56.2
 627.3
 657.4


 2008-09
 459.6
 466.5
 29.7
 30.1
 34.9
 35.4
 55.2
 56.0
 646.3
 656.0


 2009-10
 469.4
 469.4
 30.5
 30.5
 35.9
 35.9
 56.6
 56.6
 660.6
 660.6



  Note: *From 2006-07 NHS Highland’s allocation includes their increased responsibilities following the dissolution of NHS Argyll and Clyde.

  Real Terms Figures are at 2009-10 Prices (£ Million)

  

 
 
 NHS Highland*
 NHS Orkney
 NHS Shetland
 NHS Western Isles
 NHS Grampian


 Capital Allocation
 Real Terms
 Capital Allocation
 Real Terms
 Capital Allocation
 Real Terms
 Capital Allocation
 Real Terms
 Capital Allocation
 Real Terms


 2004-05
 8.4
 9.5
 0.5
 0.6
 0.5
 0.6
 1.2
 1.4
 17.6
 19.9


 2005-06
 9.3
 10.3
 0.5
 0.6
 0.6
 0.7
 1.4
 1.6
 19.3
 21.4


 2006-07
 15.5
 16.7
 0.6
 0.6
 0.7
 0.8
 1.6
 1.7
 23.2
 25.0


 2007-08
 18.5
 19.4
 0.8
 0.8
 0.9
 0.9
 2.0
 2.1
 27.8
 29.1


 2008-09
 18.6
 18.9
 0.9
 0.9
 1.0
 1.0
 1.9
 1.9
 29.3
 297


 2009-10
 18.9
 18.9
 0.9
 0.9
 1.0
 1.0
 1.9
 1.9
 29.8
 29.8



  Notes:

  *From 2006-07 NHS Highland’s allocation includes their increased responsibilities following the dissolution of NHS Argyll and Clyde.

  Real Terms figures are at 2009-10 prices.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11102 by Andy Kerr on 19 November 2004, whether it will provide the same information on hospital readmission rates in each year since 2004.

Nicola Sturgeon: The following tables show the number of emergency hospital admissions within 28 days of discharge by age group for calendar years 2004-07. The information has been presented separately for surgical and medical specialty groupings as the readmission rates can differ markedly between these two groups.

  Emergency admissions within 28 days will include cases that are readmissions for complications resulting from the original hospital stay but will also encompass cases completely unrelated to the previous discharge from hospital.

  28 Day Readmission Rate following Discharge from a Surgical Specialty in a Scottish Hospital, 2004-07

  

 
 
 2004
 2005
 2006
 2007


 0-14 years
 Discharges
 37,184
 37,595
 37,080
 38,025


 Emergency Readmissions
 1,446
 1,411
 1,337
 1,445


 Percentage (%)
 3.9
 3.8
 3.6
 3.8


 15-24 years
 Discharges
 44,498
 44,659
 45,691
 46,797


 Emergency Readmissions
 2,110
 2,072
 2,234
 2,421


 Percentage (%)
 4.7
 4.6
 4.9
 5.2


 25-44 years
 Discharges
 119,062
 117,729
 118,836
 118,109


 Emergency Readmissions
 5,875
 5,582
 6,125
 6,578


 Percentage (%)
 4.9
 4.7
 5.2
 5.6


 45-64 years
 Discharges
 136,227
 140,578
 147,752
 150,246


 Emergency Readmissions
 6,896
 7,287
 7,702
 8,013


 Percentage (%)
 5.1
 5.2
 5.2
 5.3


 65 and over
 Discharges
 155,351
 159,097
 166,190
 170,256


 Emergency Readmissions
 11,077
 10,817
 11,467
 12,128


 Percentage (%)
 7.1
 6.8
 6.9
 7.1


 All ages
 Discharges
 492,322
 499,658
 515,549
 523,433


 Emergency Readmissions
 27,404
 27,169
 28,865
 30,585


 Percentage (%)
 5.6
 5.4
 5.6
 5.8



  Source: ISD Scotland.

  28 Day Readmission Rate following Discharge from a Medical Specialty in a Scottish Hospital, 2004-07

  

 
 
 2004
 2005
 2006
 2007


 0-14 years
 Discharges
 54,843
 55,223
 58,573
 57,337


 Emergency Readmissions
 5,962
 5,933
 6,399
 6,494


 Percentage (%)
 10.9
 10.7
 10.9
 11.3


 15-24 years
 Discharges
 19,721
 19,925
 21,497
 22,659


 Emergency Readmissions
 1,836
 1,744
 2,090
 2,230


 Percentage (%)
 9.3
 8.8
 9.7
 9.8


 25-44 years
 Discharges
 69,440
 69,422
 71,723
 73,245


 Emergency Readmissions
 5,827
 5,746
 6,384
 7,290


 Percentage (%)
 8.4
 8.3
 8.9
 10.0


 45-64 years
 Discharges
 144,502
 146,085
 152,036
 154,159


 Emergency Readmissions
 12,805
 12,935
 14,476
 16,052


 Percentage (%)
 8.9
 8.9
 9.5
 10.4


 65 and over
 Discharges
 191,061
 193,836
 202,126
 207,691


 Emergency Readmissions
 24,443
 24,716
 27,207
 29,554


 Percentage (%)
 12.8
 12.8
 13.5
 14.2


 All ages
 Discharges
 479,567
 484,491
 505,955
 515,091


 Emergency Readmissions
 50,873
 51,074
 56,556
 61,620


 Percentage (%)
 10.6
 10.5
 11.2
 12.0



  Source: ISD Scotland.

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many urinary tract infections have occurred in hospital patients in each year since 2007.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is concerned about the number of patients with catheters who contract urinary tract infections and what action it is taking to address this.

Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not collected centrally. The Healthcare Associated Infection Task Force has identified targeted incidence surveillance of Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) as a priority area.

  A protocol for CAUTI has been developed by Health Protection Scotland (HPS) for care of the elderly and for the long term care setting. This is being piloted in five boards during February to April 2009, and the findings will be used to inform the future approach taken for the surveillance of CAUTI.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level is of community-acquired healthcare associated infections (HAI), in particular Clostridium difficile, and what the level was in each quarter since May 2007.

Nicola Sturgeon: Surveillance systems assume that all patients testing positive for Clostridium difficile Associated Disease (CDAD) have been in contact with the healthcare system. Current systems do not distinguish between samples taken in acute hospitals, non-acute hospitals, and community settings.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18599 by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 December 2008, where the study of Clostridium difficile ribotypes will take place; when it will start and finish; when it will be published on the Health Protection Scotland website, and when the results are expected to be published.

Nicola Sturgeon: Health Protection Scotland (HPS) has indicated that results from their study, which started in January 2009, will be included in each of the Clostridium difficile Associated Disease (CDAD) quarterly surveillance reports which are published on the HPS website.

  http://www.ewr.hps.scot.nhs.uk.

  Publication dates for these reports can be found at http://www.documents.hps.scot.nhs.uk/ewr/2009-schedule.pdf.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all notified cases of the 078 strain of Clostridium difficile, broken down by hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: As at February 2009, there has been 16 isolates of 078 strain of Clostridium difficile reported, detailed in the following table:

  

 Board
 No. of Isolates
 Relevant Hospitals


 Ayrshire and Arran
 4
1 – Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock1 – Biggart Hospital, Prestwick2 – Community based (from GP samples)


 Fife
 2
1 - Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy1 - Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline


 Grampian 
 1
 1 - Aberdeen Royal Infirmary


 Greater Glasgow and Clyde
 4
1 - Southern General Hospital1 - Stobhill Hospital1 - Victoria Infirmary1 – Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley


 Highland
 1
 1 - Belford Hospital, Fort William


 Lothian
 2
1 – Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh1 – Royal Victoria Hospital


 Tayside
 2
1 – Ninewells Hospital, Dundee1 – Perth Royal Infirmary


 Total
 16

Healthcare Associated Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people tested negative for Clostridium difficile but subsequently died of the infection at (a) the Vale of Leven Hospital and (b) other hospitals in each year since 2007.

Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not collected.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20031 by Nicola Sturgeon on 29 January 2009, whether it will collect data on the (a) minimum, (b) maximum and (c) average turnaround time for medical laboratories testing samples from patients with suspected hospital-acquired infections.

Nicola Sturgeon: This data is not collected and there are no plans to do so.

  Turnaround times, set by local laboratories in conjunction with their clinical users, are usually between 24 and 48 hours and are dependent on the organism being cultural.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20032 by Nicola Sturgeon on 29 January 2009, whether it will list those laboratories that test for hospital-acquired infections and specifically Clostridium difficile.

Nicola Sturgeon: All of the laboratories listed in the answer to S3W-20032 test for both Clostridium difficile and Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteraemias.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20033 by Nicola Sturgeon on 21 January 2009, whether it will collect and publish the information on which hospitals have reported the 078 strain of Clostridium difficile since 2007.

Nicola Sturgeon: Discussions are on-going with Health Protection Scotland (HPS) about the future publishing of the detail for all strains of Clostridium difficile identified from samples sent to the National Reference Laboratory for typing.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what records are kept of the transmission of Clostridium difficile in patients being transferred between hospitals.

Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not routinely collected and but would be considered in the context of an investigation into an incident/outbreak of Clostridium difficile.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all patients transferring between hospitals or entering hospitals from a community setting are routinely tested for healthcare associated infections and, if so, how this is carried out in each hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: There is currently no national routine testing of patients for healthcare associated infections when transferring between hospitals or on admission from the community. Boards do have screening protocols for those being admitted to certain specialties and these are determined locally.

  The MRSA screening programme, currently being piloted, will provide direction on the phased national roll out of MRSA screening across NHS Scotland from April 2009. There is no routine test for Clostridium difficile. Patients are only tested when presenting with symptoms.

Higher Education

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what requests have been received from universities, individually or collectively, for further financial assistance in 2008-09 and what responses have been given.

Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government has not received any requests from universities for further financial assistance in 2008-09. Universities would submit any such requests to the Scottish Funding Council.

Homelessness

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of homelessness was for the last quarter for which information is available and how this compares with the (a) previous quarter and (b) same quarter in 2008.

Alex Neil: The last quarter for which published data is available is January to March 2008. There were 10,798 applications assessed as homelessness in Scotland during this quarter, compared to 9,580 in the previous quarter and 11,153 in the same quarter in 2007.

  Data for the following two quarters (April to September 2008) is scheduled to be published on 17 March 2009.

Homelessness

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of rough sleeping was for the last quarter for which information is available and how this compares with the (a) previous quarter and (b) same quarter in 2008.

Alex Neil: The last quarter for which published data is available is January to March 2008. There were 798 applications during this quarter where a member of the household reported having slept rough the previous night, compared to 717 in the previous quarter and 891 in the same quarter in 2007.

  Data for the following two quarters (April to September 2008) is scheduled to be published on 17 March 2009.

Homelessness

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that it is on track to achieve the 2012 homelessness target.

Alex Neil: The Scottish Government acknowledges that the 2012 target is a challenging one for some local authorities. Progress will be measured against the interim targets set for 2008-09 during the course of this year - this will include a qualitative analysis of factors affecting progress as well as statistical information.

  The Scottish Government and COSLA have agreed a four-point plan for moving towards 2012 – focussing on investing in new supply; access to existing stock; preventing homelessness occurring in the first place, and more effective joint working.

Homelessness

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have registered as homeless in (a) Argyll and Bute and (b) West Dunbartonshire in the last quarter for which information is available.

Alex Neil: The last quarter for which published data is available is January – March 2008. There were 267 homelessness applications in Argyll and Bute during this quarter and 203 cases assessed as homeless. In West Dunbartonshire, 587 applications were made and 243 cases assessed as homeless during this quarter.

  Data for the following two quarters (April to September 2008) is scheduled to be published on 17 March 2009.

Homelessness

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were sleeping rough in (a) Argyll and Bute and (b) West Dunbartonshire in the last quarter for which information is available.

Alex Neil: The last quarter for which published data is available is January – March 2008. There were six homelessness applications in Argyll and Bute and three in West Dunbartonshire during this quarter where a household member reported having slept rough the previous night.

  Data for the following two quarters (April to September 2008) is scheduled to be published on 17 March 2009.

Homelessness

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the economic downturn, what additional measures are being taken to prevent homelessness and rough sleeping.

Alex Neil: Preventing homelessness is a key aspect of the four-point plan agreed between the Scottish Government and COSLA for moving towards the 2012 homelessness target. The Scottish Government and COSLA are developing joint guidance on preventing homelessness which will be published shortly. This will cover the wide range of circumstances from which people can become homeless and the actions which can be taken by local authorities and their partners to prevent this.

  Section 11 of the Homelessness etc (Scotland) Act 2003 will come into force on 1 April 2009. This will require that landlords and creditors notify the relevant local authority when taking proceedings for possession or calling in a mortgage, allowing local authorities to be more informed about the risk of homelessness and take appropriate action.

  The Scottish Government has also established a £35 million Homeowners Support Fund to assist those facing mortgage default. £3 million has been provided to fund in-court and other legal advice services, alongside £230,000 for Shelter’s Housing Law Service and an additional £1million for advice provided through Citizens Advice Bureaux. An advertising campaign to encourage use of the National Debtline has also been funded.

  The Scottish Government has established the Debt Action Forum and a sub-group to consider whether there is adequate legal protection for home owners in Scotland at risk of repossession and what other non-legislative measures might be taken to help those in danger of losing their homes.

International Relations

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to offer to facilitate improvements in relations between Japanese and Chinese cultural organisations and tertiary education institutions.

Fiona Hyslop: Tertiary education institutions are autonomous organisations and, while it is ultimately their decision whether or not to engage with Chinese and Japanese cultural organisations, we do encourage our institutions to look more widely at engagement with other countries. There are many examples of established relationships between Japanese and Chinese cultural organisations and our colleges and universities. We provided funding to establish the Confucius Institute for Scotland in Edinburgh University. This is a national centre to promote educational, economic and cultural ties between Scotland and China. A number of tertiary education institutions are taking part in the Scottish Committee set up by the Japanese Consul General to take forward a series of events to mark the 150th anniversary of the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce.

  Ministerial visits abroad are also a considerable resource when building relationships between countries. I visited China last year to facilitate education and research partnerships between Scotland and China and I look forward to developing both existing and new Sino-Scottish links when I accompany the First Minister to China this April.

Languages

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure adequate teaching of the languages of China and Japan in tertiary education.

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to support Japanese studies and Chinese studies in universities.

Fiona Hyslop: Subject provision in tertiary education is a matter for individual institutions as autonomous bodies.

Local Income Tax

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost has been of its consultation on local income tax.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much expenditure was involved in the preparatory work for its local income tax proposal.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government’s consultation A Fairer Local Tax for Scotland involved contracted research costs of £9570.37 and publication costs of £1217.96. A total of £10,788.33 (including VAT).

  In addition, there was civil service staff and administration costs (such as postage and packaging) which have not been itemised.

NHS Hospitals

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many emergency hospital readmissions there have been of people aged (a) 50 to 64, (b) 65 to 74 and (c) 75 and over in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre under Emergency Hospital Readmissions (Surgical Data) – (Bib. number 47839) and Emergency Hospital Readmissions (Medical Data) – (Bib. number 47840).

  The tables show information on the number of emergency hospital admissions within 28 days of discharge by NHS board of treatment for people aged 50 to 64 years, 65 to 74 years and 75 years and over for calendar years 1999-2007. The information is presented separately for surgical and medical speciality groupings as the readmission rates can differ markedly between these two groups.

NHS Hospitals

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have been treated at the accident and emergency departments at (a) Monklands and (b) Ayr Hospital since May 2007.

Nicola Sturgeon: Between 1 May 2007 and 31 December 2008 there were (a) 110,782 accident and emergency attendances at Monklands Hospital and (b) 69,613 accident and emergency attendances at Ayr Hospital.

  These data are sourced from ISD Accident and Emergency data mart (June 2007 to December 2008) and WebLogic reporting system (May 2007).

  The figures include new and unplanned return attendances at accident and emergency departments. Planned return attendances are excluded.

  Further information on attendances at accident and emergency departments for these hospitals, including quarterly and monthly trends is published on the ISD website:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4024.html.

NHS Hospitals

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on the availability of cardiology services in each general hospital in each NHS board area.

Nicola Sturgeon: The most relevant information which is held centrally is the data on the availability of staffed beds by speciality and hospital, including cardiology and coronary care units. This information can be found on the website of the Information Services Division (ISD) of NHS National Services Scotland:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=Costs_Hospital_Profile_2008.xls&pContentDispositionType=inline.

  The most recent data are from 25 November 2008, but do not allow for identification of the cardiology activity which is also delivered under the heading of general medicine.

  Additional Information on coronary heart disease is available on ISD’s Coronary Heart Disease website www.isdscotland.org/isd/2123.html.

NHS Services

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what policy and guidance exists to ensure adequate standards of services for inflammatory bowel disease across NHS boards.

Nicola Sturgeon: People with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) will benefit from our general policies on long-term conditions management. The focus in Better Health, Better Care is on providing services which are fully responsive to the totality of people’s needs, in which they are recognised as equal partners in their own care, and which are delivered as locally as possible, but with ready access to specialised services when needed.

  Self-management is an important aspect of living with IBD. The national self management strategy, Gaun’ Yersel, emphasises, amongst other things, the importance of making sure people with long term conditions and their unpaid carers have access to the information they need to support them in managing their condition.

  We are aware that the IBD Standards Group has recently produced national standards for IBD. The Scottish Government Health Directorates have agreed to discuss with the National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease how these might be taken forward in Scotland.

NHS Services

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what community-based services exist to support individuals with inflammatory bowel disease.

Nicola Sturgeon: There is a range of community-based services for people with long term conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), including those services offered by GP practices, community pharmacists, and healthcare staff such as district nurses who provide advice and support to people in their homes as required.

  The British Society of Gastroenterology, in its 2006 strategy on the care of patients with gastrointestinal disorders, which includes IBD, advocates closer integration between primary and secondary care in the management of these conditions. That is consistent with our general approach to the management of long term conditions. It may be that services for people with IBD would lend themselves to a Managed Clinical Network approach.

NHS Services

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people suffer from inflammatory bowel disease.

Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally. We are aware, however, that the National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease suggests there may be 20-25,000 people in Scotland with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

NHS Services

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the adequacy of inflammatory bowel disease services.

Nicola Sturgeon: We understand that the results of the 2008 audit of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) services will be published by the British Society of Gastroenterologists later this month, enabling gastroenterological services in Scotland to benchmark themselves against the recently-published IBD standards.

NHS Waiting Times

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place to support patients waiting in one hospital for treatment or examination in another hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: There are a number of reasons, why patients may require treatment outwith their own health board area, for example when a service is provided on a regional or national basis. These patients will be required to be seen or treated within national maximum waiting times standards.

  Guidance to NHS boards, issued in preparation for the introduction of "New Ways" of defining and measuring waiting times on 1 January 2008, makes clear that when treatment cannot be provided locally and a patient needs to travel elsewhere, the patient should be made aware of this as early as possible, preferably when the decision to refer or treat is made. This helps ensure that the patient is part of the decision-making process. The guidance also states that when a patient has to travel, appropriate transport arrangements for the patient (and relative/carer if necessary), should be resourced by the patient’s health board.

National Health Service

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what protocol is in place regarding the transfer of patient information between NHS Scotland and the NHS in the rest of the United Kingdom.

Nicola Sturgeon: The National Health Service Central Register (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (SSI 2006/484) sets out the regime under which defined information may be provided from the National Health Service Central Register for Scotland (NHSCR), including the detail of which additional bodies the information may be shared with.

National Health Service

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the protocol regarding the transfer of patient information between NHS Scotland and the NHS in the rest of the United Kingdom will be updated.

Nicola Sturgeon: The National Health Service Central Register for Scotland is currently in discussion with colleagues from Connecting for Health regarding the future transfer of patient information from NHS Scotland to the Personal Demographics Service, NHS England.

Non-Departmental Public Bodies

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) there are and how this compares to the number in May 2007.

John Swinney: On taking office, the Scottish Government published a baseline list of 199 significant national public organisations for which it was responsible and could reform. It committed to reducing this by 25% by 2011 through its simplification programme. The published baseline expands on the previous administration’s focus on only those bodies formally classified as NDPBs.

  The number of national public organisations has reduced to 165. This includes a reduction of 8 bodies from the Simplification Programme and 26 Justice of the Peace Advisory Committees announced by the previous administration but which did not come into effect until December 2007.

  The Scottish Government is on track to deliver its 25% reduction in the number of significant national public organisations. Details on changes in the public bodies landscape can be found in the Simplification Programme Tracker at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/public-bodies/Simplification-Tracker.

Police

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the approved establishment numbers were for each police authority in each of the last eight quarters.

Kenny MacAskill: Police officer establishments are a matter for police authorities and Chief Constables.

  Figures on the number of police officers employed are collected on a whole-time equivalent basis each quarter. The 31 December 2008 figures were published on 3 March and are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47838).

Police

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers have been recruited in each of the last eight quarters, broken down by police authority.

Kenny MacAskill: Police officer recruitment is a matter for police authorities and chief constables.

  Figures on the number of police officers employed are collected on a whole-time equivalent basis each quarter. The 31 December 2008 figures were published on 3 March and are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47838).

Prison Service

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) design and (b) contractual capacity is for each prison.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The following table details the current design capacity, contracted places, additional available prisoner places and the total prisoner places available in Scotland’s prisons

  

 Prison
 Design Capacity
 Contracted Places
 Additional Available Prisoner Places
 Total Places Available for Use


 Aberdeen
 155
 220
 0
 220


 Addiewell
 700
 700
 0
 700


 Barlinnie
 1,018
 962
 566
 1,528


 Cornton Vale
 375
 375
 58
 433


 Dumfries
 179
 195
 0
 195


 Edinburgh
 872
 887
 65
 952


 Glenochil
 670
 670
 50
 720


 Greenock
 255
 250
 50
 300


 Inverness
 103
 130
 20
 150


 Kilmarnock
 500
 500
 144
 644


 Open Estate
 419
 469
 50
 519


 Perth
 722
 721
 40
 761


 Peterhead
 306
 306
 0
 306


 Polmont
 623
 623
 70
 693


 Shotts
 537
 537
 0
 537


 Total
 7,434
 7,545
 1,113
 8,658



  The introduction of the additional available prisoner places detailed above is managed on a phased basis, details of which are set out in Section 1 of the SPS Service Agreements which is published on the SPS website.

Public Bodies

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations have been (a) closed and (b) disposed of since May 2007.

John Swinney: Details of changes in the public bodies landscape can be found in the Scottish Government’s Simplification Programme Tracker at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/public-bodies/Simplification-Tracker.

Public Services

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a composite response to the recommendations made by the five action groups, including the Accountability and Governance Action Group, to improve external scrutiny and complaints handling for public services.

John Swinney: I have today published on the Scottish Government’s website our response to the recommendations made by all five scrutiny improvement action groups. Those who contributed to the action groups and our delivery partners have also been informed directly. Together, we will deliver a more proportionate system of scrutiny which gives more trust and responsibility to service delivery bodies to deliver and improve services. It will also maintain the assurance that independent assessment of key services provides. The response demonstrates our commitment to better align public services, to eradicate duplication of effort and make services more accessible to the people who benefit from them.

  Copies of the Scottish Government response will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47846)

Scottish Funding Council

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Scottish Funding Council on the teaching of the languages of China and Japan.

Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government has not had any discussions with the Scottish Funding Council on the teaching of the languages of China and Japan.

Scottish Futures Trust

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what projects have been agreed funding by vehicles set up by or under the auspices of the Scottish Futures Trust.

John Swinney: As we made clear in the Business Case, Taking forward the Scottish Futures Trust ( http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/05/19155435/0 ), published in May 2008, the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) is unlikely to be a direct funder of projects in the short to medium term. However, SFT will use combinations of expertise, Non-Profit Distributing structures, programme based delivery models, hybrid funding structures, underpinning and aggregation, to be arranger of funding that is cheaper overall than PFI, taking into account all factors including risk and its allocation.

  We have already announced that SFT is in the lead in taking forward the hub initiative for shared community services such as healthcare. SFT will manage the two pathfinder areas in the south east and north of Scotland, and the government funding provided for this purpose.

Scottish Futures Trust

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the expenditure and income of the Scottish Futures Trust has been since its inception.

John Swinney: These figures will be available after the conclusion of this financial year on 31 March when the Scottish Futures Trust will publish an annual report of its activities together with its audited annual accounts.

Scottish Government Staff

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many car parking spaces are available to its staff at each of its main centres of employment and, in each case, whether this number has increased or decreased since May 2007.

John Swinney: The number of car parking spaces available to staff at each of our main buildings and the changes since May 2007 are as follows.

  

 Building
 Car Parking Spaces
 Changes since May 2007


 Victoria Quay
 482
 11 spaces lost due to relining to create disabled parking bays.15 spaces available for staff who car share.


 St Andrews House
 118
 No Change


 Saughton House
 346
 5 spaces lost due to relining to create disabled parking bays. 10 spaces available for staff who car share.


 Pentland House
 154
 No Change


 Meridian Court
 11
 No Change


 Europa Building
 28
 No Change

Sexual Offences

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what training judges and sheriffs were given in the last two years regarding the psychological impact of sexual offences on victims.

Kenny MacAskill: The psychological impact of offences on victims is considered at Refresher Courses, Skills courses (both of which are three day residential events) and Sexual Offences Seminars (one day course) for judges, sheriffs’ principal and sheriffs. The figures for attendance are follows.

  

 
 Original Sexual Offences Seminar
 Refresher Course
 Skills Course
 Sexual Offences Seminars (II)


 2003-06
 190
 
 
 


 2007
 
 80
 49
 23


 2008
 
 80
 31
 22


 Total
 190
 160
 80
 45

Substance Misuse

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths per 1,000 of population were attributable to (a) alcohol and (b) other substance misuse in the last 12 months, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: The most recent deaths data currently available is for 2007. The information requested is given in the following tables:

  a. Deaths per 1,000 Population Attributable to Alcohol, 2007.

  

 Area
 Alcohol-Related Deaths
 Rate Per 1,000


 Scotland
 1,399
 0.3


 Ayrshire and Arran
 86
 0.2


 Borders
 23
 0.2


 Dumfries and Galloway
 28
 0.2


 Fife
 79
 0.2


 Forth Valley
 63
 0.2


 Grampian
 105
 0.2


 Greater Glasgow and Clyde
 465
 0.4


 Highland
 99
 0.3


 Lanarkshire
 174
 0.3


 Lothian
 172
 0.2


 Orkney
 7
 0.4


 Shetland
 6
 0.3


 Tayside
 86
 0.2


 Western Isles
 6
 0.2



  Source GRO(S).

  b. Drug-Related Deaths per 1,000 of Population, 2007

  

 Area
 Drug-Related Deaths
 Rate per 1,000


 Scotland
 455
 0.1


 Ayrshire and Arran
 36
 0.1


 Borders
 *
 *


 Dumfries and Galloway
 10
 0.1


 Fife
 28
 0.1


 Forth Valley
 26
 0.1


 Grampian
 45
 0.1


 Greater Glasgow and Clyde
 157
 0.1


 Highland
 16
 0.1


 Lanarkshire
 48
 0.1


 Lothian
 54
 0.1


 Orkney
 *
 *


 Shetland
 *
 *


 Tayside
 29
 0.1


 Western Isles
 *
 *



  Source GRO(S)

  Note: *Data has not been disclosed for numbers under five.

Transport Scotland

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the former finance director of Transport Scotland is currently employed by the Scottish Executive or any of its agencies.

John Swinney: The former Director of Finance and Corporate Services at Transport Scotland is not a current employee of the Scottish Government or any of its agencies.

Young Offenders

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what educational and employment programmes are available in young offenders institutions and how many places on such programmes are available in (a) Scotland and (b) YOI Polmont.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Prison Service provides a range of educational and employment programmes in all prisons, including HM YOI Polmont.

  The primary focus is to address basic skills needs such as literacy and numeracy and also to increase the skills and capabilities of prisoners to enhance their employability prospects.

  Polmont offers seven Vocational Training courses, a range of educational courses to certificate level and has also developed significant links with external employers and employability groups.